Clark: Part One: A Curse of Tragedy
by Ohyoupokedme
Summary: <html><head></head>Clark is a pigman and a Holy Man. He was born with a duty: lead his city-state to prosperity after his father died. This wouldn't be easy, however; two great human nations are nearing the verge of warfare with the pigman race caught in the middle, and an unknown threat devastating villages across the continent raises alarms. (rated T for violence and suggestive themes) (remastered)</html>
1. Chapter 1

**Clark**

**Part One**

_A Curse of Tragedy_

(AN: This is a remastered version of the story. Clark: Part One contains violent content (death, gore, and suggested rape) as well as some language.)

**Chapter One**

_"__Darkness does not cast out darkness. Darkness feeds on darkness, so why fight against someone with dark intent?" – Book of Notch_

I dreamt the same dream every night. The same occurrence, place, people, even the very weather of that day. Everything was the same as the last dream, everything felt just as real and terrifying…

It was the same place. The small little village I now live, a few hundred yards south of the forest and a mile from the river… Haggstrom. No more than fifty pigmen or so, including children, live in Haggstrom. There was nothing much here, just some buildings, a farm or two, and a church right in the middle of it all. Peaceful, quiet, and most importantly, no crimes… that was, until that rainy day eleven years ago...

There was a thunderstorm on its way, and for a small village like Haggstrom, that could mean a lot of things depending on how severe the storm is. Could mean fortifying buildings and windows, or simply making sure animals are secure in their pens. That night it was concluded that the storm wasn't dangerous to the point of fortifications, but people were asked to stay in their homes. The storm had already hit, wind roaring and lightning flashing and booming, by the time mother was out and she couldn't make it back home, so she was forced to take shelter in another pigman's home.

Nobody really knew this pigman. He was the newest member of the village, who moved in only a week ago; a traveler, he claims, on his way to Makstrom for trading general goods that he finds on his adventures. Many seemed to believe him, but I didn't at the time. There was something strange about the pigman that I didn't like. Then again, I was only eleven years of age, nobody took anything I said seriously at the time. The pigman took residence in an empty home, and when the storm hit, mother was forced to take shelter with him… And the storm was too loud for anyone to hear her screams… her pleas for help…. And by the time the storm subsided… it was quiet in the house. After she wasn't home for a long time, father and I got worried. We went house to house, and when we got to the stranger's house, her body was lying dead on the floor. Strange juices (which was later that day confirmed to be semen) laid on her body, bruises on her face and arms, and blood poured from her throat, which was slit by a dagger laying not far from her corpse… I could see the fear of dying in her still, frozen eyes…

My eyes shot open to the bright morning light shining through the windows to my left and right. The rays of light shone through and warmed my face up, giving me a better awakening than usual. The cobblestone walls of the second floor of the church surrounded to greet me as I yawned loudly and stretched my arms. I was so desensitized to the dream that it hardly affected me anymore to the extent that it used to, even though it still caused depression most days… but when I went to rub my sore eye sockets, I realized they were damp. I noticed a tear running along my cheek. Had I been crying in my sleep, I thought. Well, it wouldn't have been the first time it happened. I dream the same dream every night, and almost every time I wake up at least puffy eyed. I tried my best to hide this from people, especially father. I don't know why I hid it… I suppose I felt like it was a sign of weakness, something that a pigman like myself couldn't afford to have, especially with the powerful position I hold in Haggstrom. My father Walx was the Holy Man of Haggstrom, and that meant, as his son and heir to his position, that I learn to be a leader of not only faith, but politics as well. A Holy Man has to remain pure to set an example, yet lead the village through trials both physically dangerous and politically dangerous. A church leader and a village leader both at one time. I couldn't let something like this pull me down, or if I can't help it, keep it from looking like I'm being pulled down. Reputation is everything as a Holy Man. If diplomats from other nations find out these things, they can exploit you or abandon you.

Normally, a Holy Man of small villages like this don't get many diplomats or meetings from big nations. Mostly you see them traveling to Daen or Makstrom, but Haggstrom is a slight exception. Haggstrom, unlike larger towns like Daen or Makstrom, is located right between the territories of two large nations nearing warfare: The Alliance to the west, and The Balreck Order to the east. Both these human nations have been at each other's throats for three years now. Pigmen villages tried their best to remain neutral, but most were forced to pick sides. The Pigman race wasn't organized into one nation; each village was their separate people. Although no war broke out among them, they certainly weren't organized, and they most certainly stood no chance in the way of two of the Craftworld's greatest nations. That is where the Holy Men come in: diplomacy and negotiation is everything, else they would be whipped off the map.

That was my inherited job, the job I was born to do and keep. It was to keep my village strong in faith and strong in force. Right now, my father is keeping these people alive, but soon father will pass away, and I will take over, and I will have to keep these people alive myself. I often ask myself why I was born into this position. I know several people who could be better leaders, but father often tells me that the offspring of a Holy Man and a virgin wife is the most pure, and therefore sets the best example for future generations. I somewhat understand, but I find it somewhat strange as well. However, it is my duty, and as father always says, "Duty leads to holiness, from holiness comes honor, and from honor comes respect, and from respect comes true happiness."

"Notch damn it all…" I muttered to myself as I took the bed sheets and whipped my eyes dry. I couldn't let father see this.

"Clark? Son?" a voice called from down below.

Speak of the devil. I quickly prayed that father wouldn't see my crying eyes.

Father poked his little wrinkled pig head from the floor hole. "Good morning, son."

I stretched again and managed to yawn out, "Good mornin' father."

Father climbed the ladder up and walked toward the bed, kneeled down and grabbed something from under it. I had my eyes closed so I couldn't see what he was getting, but the next thing I know, a small chest landed on my stomach.

"Get dressed," Father said, "We are going to begin the church sermon in an hour."

I was tired, but I didn't want to get lectured, so I took the chest off my stomach and set it aside. I got up from the bed and went down on the floor to do push-ups to try and wake myself up. I successfully completed forty before I managed to wake up. I opened the chest father threw on me, and inside were pairs of cloths. I threw on the nicest I could find and got ready for church service.

The service took a while. It was about the temptations of Herobrine during times of lust. In pigman faith, lust is taken very seriously and so is sexual purity. In most pigman villages, known virgins are given special benefits from the village to show younger generations the correct path. It was rare that pigmen lost these benefits before a proper marriage, but it does occur every so often. Most lose respect from others, that's it, but it's enough to keep people from losing their purity. Some say it's harder for humans, though, which is why their views on such things vary.

After the service, pigmen got up all around. Some left, some stayed and talked a while. A lot of things were on my mind at that moment, so I bowed my head and prayed to Notch above to provide me with direction. Then I overheard a few pigmen talking behind me. I kept my eyes closed and head bowed, but I couldn't help but overhear the conversation:

"You hear about the Balreck Order? Sent a diplomat on his way here. Apparently he will be here by tomorrow."

"Yep. I also heard the Sky Army is sending a diplomat as well. Lord Jerome, I think."

"Eh, the Order can go to the depths of the Nether."

"Neith…"

"No, I don't care about 'respecting diplomats'. If those racist sons-of-bitches think they can push us around…"

"I say all the villages in The Alliance territory come together to take on the Order."

"Unitarism isn't allowed by The Alliance."

"Why?"

"They're afraid that the pigmen race will rise against humanity."

"That's complete creeper scat!"

"There are a few Unitarians who have this belief. A few bad apples spoil the bunch, I guess."

"The Sky Army allowed unity among the pigmen in their territory!"

"The Sky Army honestly doesn't have many villages in its territory."

"Still, with all the villages in the Order and the Alliance's territories, it would change the course of the war depending on which side the villages choose."

"Why would anyone fight for the Balreck Order?"

"The Order uses intimidation to get pigmen to fight for them. To join the Alliance in the middle of Order territory would be suicide for the village. Most Holy Men wouldn't risk the lives of their people. Holy Men do not like having a village's blood on their hands."

"True. If I were Holy Man of a village, I would have a mass exodus to Capital City."

"The Alliance has been very strict on immigration since the last negotiation with the Order."

"Then we go in illegally."

"You will be deported and the Order will kill you."

"I'm just saying…"

Politics really suited me, and I wanted to jump into the conversation, but I thought that would have been a bit rude. Instead, I got up and approached the ladder to climb to the roof.

The Order and The Sky Army was sending diplomats? To Haggstrom? Father must have received a letter about their arrival by carrier bird. Nations were usually required to give advanced notice before the arrival of a diplomat or any other forces that might be heading through. I didn't know why father couldn't tell me about it, or maybe he hadn't just gotten around to it yet. Either way, it was stressful knowing I had to confront these people alongside father. Father says it teaches me diplomacy and other important things that a Holy Man needs. I knew he wanted to teach me, but sometimes he expects me to go through with the diplomacy by myself. Eighty percent of the time I would look to him for help. I lacked independence during those kinds of things. Defending the village and leading raids on mob-infested mines I could handle, but for some reason diplomacy doesn't work out for me.

To my surprise, when I arrived on the roof, father was already there, still in his purple robes, looking over Haggstrom. I approached him and tapped his shoulder. He jumped a bit and turned to me. "Oh. Clark. Hello."

"Hi. What are you doing up here?"

"Oh just… I know you usually come up here after service, so I thought I'd meet you to tell you something."

I think I already knew what that something is, so I guessed, "It's about the diplomats, isn't it?'

Father looked at me with shock, "Where did you hear that from?"

"I heard Utahni talking about it downstairs with a couple others. How did he find out before me?"

"Utahni was there when I received the letter. We were coming back from fishing at the river when the carrier bird found me. Told him not to tell you because… well… I wanted to do so myself. Now you know."

We both looked over Haggstrom for a moment, watching villagers pass by. "Soon this will be yours, Clark." Father said to me.

"I don't want it to me mine, though."

"You have to. It is your destiny to lead, not to follow. You are the shepherd of this flock."

"But why?"

"The Book of Notch commands it. 'After a Holy Man of a virgin wife is chosen, those of his blood are to be the ones to lead, for I, Notch, have commanded it to be so.'"

I knew I couldn't argue further. Can't argue against what the good book says.

Father sighed, "Clark, like it or not, you are the most fit to lead the village. You lead raids all the time, defended the village against zombie attacks, even built new homes with your bare hands."

"Yes, but I don't like doing it. I should do what I like to do, I'm old enough to do so. I want to travel to Capital City, Sky Metropolis, Ranhel! I want to seek after my dream!"

"Your dreams are selfish and hopeless!" Father suddenly said in an angry tone, "So, you want to seek after dreams and let the burden of leadership lie with someone else? Want to put someone in your shoes while you cruise the world in the midst of complete warfare?"

"Of course not!"

"That's what it sounds like…" Father sighed again, "I'm sorry, but you are too naïve to understand."

"Maybe I am…"

"It's okay, boy. There will come a time where you will understand your importance on the Craftworld."

I hoped so. Finding purpose in this world was difficult. I didn't feel capable of being a leader, but there was no arguing with father: it was my duty and I was born to do it. If I am to be a good Holy Man I must think for others and not myself, and that means making sacrifices of my own hopeful future.

Father put his arm around me, "You'll be alright. It's stressful, but you get better at dealing with it overtime."

I didn't know if he was saying that just to make me feel better or if it was truthful. Father seemed like he could hardly handle it himself, but he is rather old. He seemed to get more wrinkled every day, growing older and closer to death. I secretly hoped I wouldn't end up the same way. I often thought father was too selfless. We lived inside the church for Notch's sake, and I was the one who had the one bed. He sleeps on a pile of hay downstairs he keeps stored away. He is growing feebler, and I knew it.

I looked at father in the eyes and realized he was crying. "Father? Are you okay?"

"Yes… I'm just…"

Before he could finish, a voice from the street below screamed up toward us, "Hey! Clark! Down here!"

I leaned over the edge to see who was yelling. A fat pigman down at the street looked back up at me. It was my friend, Danny. "Are you coming down or what?"

I looked at father for permission. Father sighed, "Clark, you're old enough to make your own decisions now. I will want you back before sundown, though. I don't want you stranded with mobs."

I embraced father and headed down the ladder to meet my friend.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

_"__During times of tragedy, there are three simple things one can have afterword: hope, faith, or doubt. All three are equally logical, but not all three are equally healthy." – Sermon of Gregori Yonis_

Danny was waiting for me down on the steps.

Danny was sort of an oddball kind of pigman. One thing that was strange was his name. Danny was spelt like a human would spell it, D-A-N-N-Y. A pigman would say Danni, D-A-N-N-I. It isn't surprising for those who know him personally, though. Danny lost his real parents when he was very young. He has yet to tell me how he lost them, but eventually he found a human family who raised him until he was fourteen, when he went off on his own. Eventually, he found Haggstrom, and has lived here ever since. We are both the same age, he just being a week younger than me.

Another thing that was strange is his faith. He told me he grew up in an atheist home, yet he usually comes to church when sermons start. I assume he is on a search. He took part in confessions, confessing to me and father (and Notch above, of course) that he wasn't a virgin when he came into the village. Nobody knows this but me and father, and father decided that since he had the courage to confess such a secret he did not cut off any support for adultery, even though adultery is taken very seriously in pigman culture.

Danny had a habit of being a joker around Haggstrom. The villagers call him a trouble maker. He tends to do things like set chickens loose and light fireworks off with enough force to mistake it for a creeper explosion. He sometimes gets in trouble for it, and a few villagers have an agenda against him, but he just sees it as innocent fun.

I had a feeling that when I descended those steps that I would be a part of some of his "innocent fun".

"Hey Clark!" Danny greeted me.

"Danny! Where were you at church today?"

"Sleeping in. I have been a naughty boy."

I playfully slugged him on the shoulder. "You should be waking up earlier. It's healthier."

"Yeah, no."

"So what are we doing?"

Danny grinned, "We are going to take a walk to the lake. Genevieve is waiting there."

Genevieve. That made me excited.

Genevieve is a woman I knew for a long time. I knew her since birth, and been friends with her since I was five. I grew feelings for her when I was fifteen. We've been in a relationship ever since.

"Okay… Let's go. Wait… how did you know she was going to the lake?"

"I uh… saw her walking… in the general direction? I assumed it was the lake. It looks beautiful near this time of day."

"That means we have to cut through Mane Forrest."

Danny shrugged, "Yeah, so? If Genevieve made it through there, we can."

"When did she go in?" I asked.

"Few hours ago."

"So she skipped church?"

"She told me she had something going on, then went into the forest. I think she lied, Clark. You should follow her and see if you can get a confession out of her. You can be very persuasive, especially to those of the opposite gender." Danny winked at me. I slugged him on the shoulder again.

"Ouch! That one hurt."

"What? I didn't hit you that hard…" I said as we started walking.

"I'm quite fragile. It's a curse that comes along with being so valuable. So what was today's sermon about?"

"Sexual purity."

"Ooo, the good stuff." Danny grinned, "Maybe Genevieve skipped the service knowing you would follow her in the forest, and didn't want church to ruin the mood."

"You're sick, Danny." I teased.

"You're the one following the love of your life into the woods. That's borderline stalker material."

"I ought to teach you a lesson for that." I replied as we started leaving the village, the gravel road suddenly ending and turning into dirt as it went toward the forest not far from Haggstrom.

Mane Forest was always a mystery box when it comes to danger. Some days it was clear of monsters, while other days mobs are swarming inside. Mane Forest has large patches of trees, some so dense with trees that light doesn't even touch the ground. The forest goes on for miles, but thankfully Lake Lupus was only a few minute walk, and not really dangerous since more sunlight gets in between Haggstrom and Lake Lupus.

The dirt path lead up the hill a bit, the trees beginning to surround us as we continued in.

"Tell me something, Clark." Danny said to me, "I'm starting to get more interested in your religion… I've never known the creation story of your religion. I mean, I've heard a bunch from a lot of religions… what makes your religion any different?"

I was personally happy to see that Danny was starting to catch interest, so I replied, "Well, our religion is monotheistic… but not… It's a little weird. See, Notchism has three different denominations, each which worships the different beings: Herobrine, Notch, and Ender. Ones that worship Herobrine think him to be the all-powerful out of the three, while we know Notch is the all-powerful, and while others believe Ender is all-powerful. Each denomination is arguing that their god is the most powerful out of the three, and the others are simply minor gods."

"What's the creation story?"

"In the beginning, the Universe was here and always was here. The Universe is the creator of the gods. Despite this, though, we do not worship the Universe. From the Universe, Notch came forth from the void. Notch then began by creating the Craftworld, which he ruled over, and created other gods. He created Herobrine, who controls the moon, Sol who controls the sun, and Ender, who controls the void."

"So let's say another denomination of Notchism refutes your story. What would they say?"

"They would say that Herobrine or Ender were the first to come forth from the void and created the others."

"Why isn't Sol one?"

I shrugged, "Sol worshippers have a completely different creation story, so we don't associate them with Notchism."

Danny nodded and decided to stay quiet for a bit. He couldn't stay quiet for long though (nothing could shut that mouth of his), as he later asked me, "Could you tell me more about Notchism?"

"I could tell you about the Purges and wars?"

"Oh, sadness and death. My favorite!"

I cleared my throat and began, "Well, when the gods were created, Notch began the creation of beings to inhabit the earth. These beings inhabited limited intelligence and has the simple purpose of survival. They are called mobs."

"I suppose that's when you were created." Danny remarked.

I tried to slug him on the shoulder again, but he backed away defensively. "You'll get one later, then!" I threatened. I then continued, "Anyway, after Notch saw his creation was good, he created beings with higher forms of intelligence. Thus he created the First Born, a race of beings now extinct and we do not remember their appearance. Then, when he saw they were good, he created other beings of various cultures and kinds. The Second Born were his other creations. The Second Born were created from the template of animal mobs. Three different races were made within the Second Born; Sheepmen, Cowmen, and Pigmen."

"So you ARE a mob-head!"

"Hey, you're a mob-head too! ANYWAY… After that Notch created one last kind: Humanity. The Third Born. For a little while, they lived together in prosperity. Then, the First Born began the Fall. The First Born thought they were superior to the Second and Third Born because they were the first created. The Third Born thought themselves superior since they are the most technologically advanced of the two others. The Second Born were simply caught in the middle of it all and forced to defend themselves. The Fall was the worst war in Craftworld history."

I saw what looked like water through the trees ahead, "I could tell you more, but it looks like we are here."

"I'll hang here while you're with Genevieve."

"No no, it's fine man. You can come talk with us."

"Nah, I talk with her enough. It's your time to shine!"

I grinned and embraced Danny before going down to the lake. Lake Lupus was sparkling between the trees from sunlight, giving it a peaceful welcoming to those approaching it. The lake wasn't too large, maybe a few thousand feet wide, and it really wasn't that deep, but it was a pretty location nonetheless. When the trees started to clear and I was on the sands of the lake, I saw a pile of cloths on the sands. I looked around for Genevieve, but I couldn't see her. After a few moments, someone burst forth from the waters of Lake Lupus. It was Genevieve, naked in the lake. As soon as all the water fell off her head, she looked up and saw me. "Oh, Clark!" Genevieve said in a soft, soothing voice as she casually got out of the lake. I tried my best to focus on her face to avoid having my eyes sinking downward, "Hey Genevieve. You skipped church to take a bath?"

"You would not BELIEVE how much I needed one after having to go into that mine last night!" She explained as she grabbed a towel hanging from a nearby tree branch and put it around her. "Dust, cobwebs, rubble… I thought I had every inch of my body carried a new layer of skin made of dust. And I was just helping out with the other miners…"

"You mine?" I never knew Genevieve even used a pickaxe.

"I just do it to appease father. Wants me to become a miner when I get an official job, mostly because it pays very well. But you know I prefer hunting."

"I do. Has it been eating up your time hunting?"

"Not necessarily," Genevieve answered as she sat in the sand, towel still around her, "but it can be a pain sometimes. It just messes up my hunting schedule. Sometimes when I mine, I have to come home early from hunting when I go out to avoid being stranded with mobs."

I walked over and sat down next to her in the sand. She turned her head toward me and looked at me with her pretty green eyes. She smiled, "How have you been, Clark?"

"Okay. I just found out after church that the Sky Army and the Balreck Order are sending diplomats. Father wants me to help with whatever they are coming here for. Being around you helps ease the stress though." I smiled down at her.

Genevieve chuckled, "Oh, I love you, Clark."

"I love you too." I leaned in and kissed her on the lips. Genevieve closed her eyes and kissed back. After a few moments I stopped to breath, then kissed her again. I started to lean in closer into the kiss and Genevieve laid down on her back. I rolled over on top of her and kept kissing passionately. For a minute or so, we just kept at it until I stopped for a moment. I asked, "Genevieve… we've known each other for our whole life, and been in a relationship for over a year now, and every day of that year spent with you was a day well spent."

"I feel the same way, Clark."

"Now I want every day to be filled with joy from you. Will you marry me?" I asked her. As soon as I said those words, I felt a tremendous amount of pressure on me all at once. Genevieve simply smiled at me for a few moments, the nodded her head happily, "Yes! Yes, I will marry you!"

Words could not describe how amazingly happy I felt at that moment, and I wanted that moment to be frozen in time forever. It may as well have been my Aether Paradise. Me and Genevieve, spending the rest of our lives together, happy and content. In my mind, I prayed to Notch that he preserve this happiness in my heart inside an iron chest. We kissed again, and somehow the kiss felt thrice the more satisfying than any of the last.

Unfortunately, the sun started to go down, and I didn't want to get killed by a mob after just proposing to the love of my life. "Let's talk about everything in the morning, love." I said, "We can plan the wedding so we can show everybody our love unashamed." I kissed Genevieve one last time, and she sighed happily. After she got dressed, we made our way back to Haggstrom. I simply couldn't wait to tell father the good news.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

(AN: I apologize for my long absence. For updates on the current progress on my stories, go to my profile and look under "current progress")

_"__Faith is purest when the most atheistic doubter becomes the most faithful servant." –Sermon of Gregori Yonis_

Danny was waiting a little further into the forest, watching as we approached him embracing each other. "You love birds heading back?"

"Who invited you?" Genevieve said sarcastically.

"I think he was creeping on us." I answered jokingly.

"Oh you guys, it'd be a real shame if your parents found out that you two went alone into Mane Forest together and a reliable witness like myself saw something naughty." Danny stuck his tongue out at us. "So what were you guys doing?"

"Clark proposed to me at the lake."

Danny was actually surprised by this. Then he took Genevieve hand and shook it, "Congrats! You get to spend the rest of your life with a mob-head!"

I slugged him on the shoulder twice.

"Ow! Why twice?"

"I said I'd get you later, and you deserved one now."

Danny dramatically rubbed his shoulder and started to walk back to Haggstrom, Genevieve and I followed.

…

After I kissed Genevieve goodbye for the day and ran home, I opened the door to the church and noticed father sitting on the bench. He had his head down in a prayer position. When I entered, father turned and smiled. "Good. You're back." He said, "What is it that Danny wanted?"

"Dad, I have some good news."

"Really? Come on, boy, let's have it then."

"I proposed to Genevieve."

Father got up from his seat slowly and simply stood at me with his jaw open. Then he closed it and said, "Well, it's about time…" and came up to embrace me. "I'm proud of you son."

"Thank you, father."

Father opened his mouth to say something else, but then there was a scream outside. It sounded like a woman.

I quickly ran to the window. A female was looking down the road, toward Mane Forest.

"What is she screaming about?" Father asked.

"I know just as much as you do, father. I'm going to see what's going on."

I opened the door and went to see what she was screaming about. It was starting to get dark out and the sun slowly sunk over the hills, and it would be dark soon. If the woman is staying out after dark, it would be very dangerous with the mobs about.

"Excuse me, is there something wrong?" I asked her. She just kept staring into the woods.

I slowly turned my head toward the trees... and I nearly screamed myself. In the trees, there were hundreds of glowing purple eyes, staring at the village. All I could see was their eyes and a purple aura around them, so I could barely make out their features.

"Father… FATHER! RING THE ALARM!" I yelled. A minute later, father was at the top of the church with a silver bell, hitting it with a mallet. Moments later, people were running out of their homes, men and women grabbing swords and weapons, gathering at the church.

The sight of their eyes terrified me to the point of sweating. I began to feel hot, but I had to stay calm and lead these people to safety. Whatever these things are, they aren't friendly, and we needed to evacuate the village to safety. People began to panic.

"What's going on?!"

"What in the Nether is that?!"

"Everyone calm down!" Father yelled from the tower, "Civilians, gather your belongings! Things you need first! Militia, prepare yourselves. If those beasts come closer and attack, we must fend them off until we get the civilians out of here! Clark, can you lead the militia?"

"Yes father!" I yelled back.

"Good! Keep an eye on the woods! Yell if those things come closer to the village or moves away!"

I nodded and took a deep breath. I have led many raids against mob infestations in mines before, but never have I been so afraid of… whatever those things are. When I looked into their eyes, I instantly felt cold, and I could tell that the others around me were feeling the same way with that presence in the forest.

Father issued commands, "Alright, civilians go and gather belongings! Clark, lead the militia toward the end of Haggstrom and keep those things off our backs!"

I nodded again, "Alright, militia, with me!"

About ten pigmen came forward, each with a wooden sword in hand. Utani was among them, and he tossed me a spare sword he had in his hands. I caught it in midair and began to count again. There were supposed to be fifteen.

"Where is Genevieve? Where are the rest of them?" I demanded.

"It doesn't matter," Utani said, "We need to defend."

He was right; the more time wasted here, the more danger we put the civilians in. "Let's go! No time to lose!" I commanded as I led them down the road closer toward Mane forest.

When the gravel road ended and the dirt path took its place was where we stopped. The closer we got, I could sense the militia's morale shrinking. The eyes simply sat there, glowing in the darkness of the trees. By this time, it was nightfall, and the moon had risen in the sky.

I could hear the shivering breaths of the men around me. Hundreds of eyes peeked out from the blackness of the woods, and we numbered at just ten, not including myself. We were equipped with what was essentially sharp sticks. I could understand their fear, but I have spent so much of my life hiding emotions that it was natural for me not to show it. I hoped for a moment that this would give the militia a little more spirit.

"Stand your ground…" I commanded. I didn't want anyone abandoning each other when things got heated.

For the longest moment, we stared at the eyes of the enemy, waiting for someone to make a move. The civilians behind us were scurrying out of their homes with bags of belongings, running toward the usual rally point. We had to keep them at bay if they attacked, but how? They would probably be overwhelmed in moments with this number of beasts.

Then a growl came from the forest, or what sounded like one. It was like a low but light rumbling. The rumbling then started getting louder and louder, until it turned into a loud growl. The militia behind me began growing increasingly uneasy. It was as if a thousand growls were shaking the earth. It kept getting louder, though, until it was a deafening screech. My ears immediately felt pain from the noise and I covered my ears. All I could hear was the muffled screeches and the ringing of my damaged ears. Then the muffled screams stopped suddenly. My ears were still ringing, but I assumed it was safe enough to uncover my ears. The others did the same. It was stopped. Some of the militia started backing up a little, but I turned to yell at them, "I said stand your ground!"

Then something appeared from the corner of my eye as my head was turned. Reflex quickly caused my head twist toward that direction, and I was then staring at the stomach of a black figure. A purple aura surrounded the beast, giving it a silhouette of a long, slender figure. I barely had time to turn my back to run before three long, twig-like claws ran down my right shoulder blade. The claws cut the surface of my skin, but I still felt the pain. I let out a yelp and fell to the ground, grasping the bleeding cuts. The figure started to walk past me toward the others, who had their swords at the ready but still shivered in fear. Though my shoulder was in pain, I still lifted the wooden sword and charged the monster while its back was turned. It must have heard my rushing footsteps, because the beast turned around as I charged and revealed its purple eyes and circular, human-skull-like face. I paid no attention to it: I thrust my wooden sword into the beast's stomach with all my might. The monster let lose a horrible, otherworldly cry of pain as its previously solid skin started dripping and melting. I drew my sword out of the growing pile of black gunk, the sword dripping with the black liquid. "Clark! You're okay!" Utani cried out.

"Is everyone evacuated from the village?" I asked quickly

"I think so." Utani said, though sounded a little unsure.

"Ok. We need to retreat to the church."

I ran past the militia and they followed close behind. I quickly glanced behind me to find out what the other beasts were doing; they were slowly marching toward Haggstrom. "Hold! We make our stand here!" I commanded. The militia stopped in their tracks and looked back toward the army advancing toward them. "Clark, how are we going to get out of here?" One of the militia asked.

I didn't answer at first. Frankly, I didn't think we would…

"Clark?" He asked again, worried.

"We are going to be fine," I lied, "We have to hold them off longer, though."

The wave of beasts continued, until suddenly, a small chunk of the army suddenly disappeared into thin air. "Watch your asses!" Utani yelled. The milita started looking around and behind them. "What are you doing?" I asked.

"They teleport, Clark!" Naith yelled back.

As soon as Naith said that, I found myself looking over my own shoulder. "Stay on your hooves! We have to fall back to the rally point! Stay alert of…" before I finished my sentence, Naith screamed out, "AAAAAAAAAARGH!" One of the dark beasts had their claws digging into Naith's shoulder, tearing off his arm. The tall monster, almost as fast as it started, ripped off Naith's arm, resulting in Naith squealing in a pig-like manner and a large splatter of blood on the ground following his dismembered limb. "NO! NAITH!" Utani screamed and ran to his aid, but the monster had already teleported away. "No no no no! Naith!" By the time Utani got to his corpse, Naith had stopped breathing. Utani checked for a heartbeat… then a look of horror in his eyes. I assumed the worst; Naith was dead.

There was no time to react when five more beasts came teleporting all around the men. In moments, the stressful staring contest became a fight. One beasts teleported in front of me and lifted a claw. This time, I had enough time to slash as its claw was coming down, cutting the beast's arm. Black blood flew out of the cut, and the monster screeched a moment, but it was still alive. I went in for a stab, but then I heard a noise to my right…

Sssssssss…

I merely had a second to curse when a creeper blew up beside me. I felt the heat of the explosion blow over my body and the pieces of earth smacking me as I went flying across the street. It seemed like I was flying in the air forever, then I hit the ground.

Then… blackness.

I slowly began regaining consciousness, first remembering the fact that my whole body was in pain. My back was being pierced by loose gravel stones. My front half of my body felt like it was set on fire then put out twenty times. I could feel blood from the cut of my shoulder still dripping. My head was throbbing in pain, probably due to a small piece of stone from the creeper explosion smacking me in the head. I opened my mouth to let out a moan of pain (it was all I could manage to get out of my mouth at that moment) and opened my eyes. It was daytime, but I could smell smoke and a horrendous stench in my nose. I slowly sat up to look at my surroundings.

Haggstrom was in ruins. The buildings around me were black and burnt, some with smoke still pouring out of them into the sky above. Roofs were non-existent, as they crumbled on top of the building itself. Some of the houses still had flames flickering inside and on wooden pieces littered on the ground. The church was completely defiled, with blood splattering all over the walls of the church, scratches on it, and blood written messages that read, "Impure", "Sinners must die!", "Dirty pigs", and "Notch is dead!".

The streets were no prettier of a sight. I now knew that the horrendous smell was the stench of death and decay; bodies lay all over among the street, stomachs carved open with flies and maggots all over their corpses. Nearly the whole street was painted in red blood. Legs, arms, even heads were separated from their bodies.

I could feel tears forming in my eyes. My home, my people, my church… ridiculed, defiled, destroyed, and dismembered. In a single night… gone. I brushed the gravel pieces off my back and tried to get on my feet. The bones in my legs felt like there was a fifty pound block on them, but I stilled moved up. I stopped when I heard a gurgled cough from my right. Someone was alive! I looked to see Utani sitting against the wall of a building, hands against his stomach, eyes closed, yet breathing. "Utani! Oh, thank Notch!"

"C… Clark?" He managed out, opening his eyes, "Oh… Clark! Don't thank Notch yet…" Utani moved his hands away from his stomach, and I saw that there was a gash there, intestines slipping out. Utani quickly put his hands back there. "They… AH!"

"Stay in there, Utani!" I rushed to his aid.

"I'm… I'm going to die h-here, Clark."

"But they didn't kill you yet! We can get you medicine and bandages…"

"No, Clark…. T-they made m-me watch… watch as they d-defiled the church with t-their b-blood… Then c-c-cut me open and… left me to bleed out… I-I've already lost s-so much blood..."

At this point, I was crying. Utani deserved much better than this.

"Stay calm, Clark…" Utani said, "C-can you do something for m-me?"

I nodded my head, still crying.

"Good… count the… bodies? M-maybe s-some escaped…"

I nodded again and put my hand on his shoulder, "You need to… be put out of your misery."

"No… I want to pray to N-Notch for the… last few minutes… I have… Go… Do what I a-asked…" Utani closed his eyes and bowed his head, breathing in heavy and pain filled breaths.

I wiped away the tears and stood up, looking toward the bloody massacre. It was basically a puzzle piece finding out which body parts are whose. Very few of the bodies still had all their limbs. I went over to the nearest body, one facing down to the ground ten feet in front of Utani.

I put my three fingers (pigmen have three long fingers instead of five) under the body and flipped him over. I had to turn over and vomit with the sight I saw. The pigman's face was half decayed with maggots eating halfway through the eye sockets and half of the face eaten off, revealing his skull. His decayed features made him unrecognizable, unfortunately…

I whipped my mouth after puking. One… out of ten… then I heard a light 'thump' behind me… I turned to see Utani, slouched over with a pool of blood beneath him… I walked over to his corpse to check his heartbeat, but I already assumed the worst…

I put my hand on his chest for a few moments… nothing… Utani was dead…

Two…

I blinked the reemerging tears away as I moved on.

Naith… Three.

Gareth… Four.

Enston… Five.

Brillen… Six.

Viran… Seven.

Mirarch… Eight.

Eight out of ten. Severan and Ompous are both missing. I hoped Utani was right about them escaping, but I still had all of Haggstrom to search yet. I got up from Mirarch's body, holding my stomach in disgust from looking at their torn up and decaying bodies.

I walked toward the church first. I dared not step inside in fear of the vandalism that may be in there. I took a moment to look at the signs. "Notch is dead!"… What were these creatures? They aren't like normal mobs, they inherited a larger amount of intelligence and organization. They showed that by how they attacked (and destroyed) Haggstrom; that last monster that cut my shoulder wasn't doing it out of randomness or that I just happened to be closest… they were trying to take out the leader first… there was a strategy behind it. They are using military tactics, not something normal mobs are capable of. By Notch, I hoped Genevieve, Danny, and father were alright.

As soon as I thought that, a voice spoke up behind me. "Put your hands in the air!" the voice said. I could tell it was a human voice, but what would humans be doing here? I did as the voice asked and put my hands up toward the sky. "Now, turn around, swine!" I did as he asked. I turned and saw a human in red and black leather armor holding a crossbow pointed at my forehead. The chest on the leather armor had a white bear paw print on the center. The Balreck Order. I should have known.

"What are you…?" I began, but the soldier hushed me, "Don't say a word… I want you to walk at the end of the street with the dead bodies. Hurry up!" I followed his instructions, walked over the dead bodies to the end of the street, the human still a few feet behind me with the crossbow pointed at me. When I got to the end of the street, there were ten other soldiers of the Order in iron armor, and a single horseman with iron armor and a golden helmet. There were five long horse-drawn carts with pigmen seated inside, bound with rope by hands and feet. "Ah, a survivor!" The horseman said, clearly pleased, "Get it in the Haggstrom cart! King Henri will be pleased!" Two soldiers came and took me by the arms, binding my hands and feet together in rope, and dragged me to the cart at the very end.

As I slowly got on the cart, I sat next to a big, burly black pigman with large tusks coming out of his mouth. Then I looked forward and saw a sight I thought I'd never see; Genevieve and Danny. "Clark… You're okay!" Genevieve said.

"Where's father?" I asked.

Genevieve and Danny went silent. "Where is he?" I asked again.

Danny looked at me and said, "Clark… Walx is dead… the Order killed him…"


End file.
